“I was afraid, but I didn’t want Andreas to feel fear,” shares Loma. Loma lost her job at a private school when the COVID pandemic began. Soon after she found herself unable to pay her rent. “I am not one to not pay my bills. I knew I wouldn’t be able to pay my [...]
“This was the only place that would accept me with rent I could afford,” shares twenty-six-year old Cheyenne. Just over two years ago, Cheyenne’s parents gave her and her then two-year-old daughter Paisley a deadline to find a new place to live. After six months of searching and feeling like she and her daughter were [...]
“I read an article that camping helps veterans get relief from feelings of anxiety, depression, and isolation,” shares Alan Clapper, the Resident Services Coordinator at MSC’s William J. Wood Veterans House (WJW). Alan organized a camping trip in August to test this theory. Four WJW residents, Charles, Dave, Jose, Maurice, and one lucky dog, [...]
Maurice’s journey is one of resilience, determination, and the transformative power of support and perseverance. After serving his country in the U.S. Air Force, Maurice faced a difficult transition to civilian life. Struggling to find stability, he bounced between jobs, never quite finding his footing. He shared that the weight of his experiences led him [...]
Layla, a single mother of four children, found herself wanting a fresh start for her family. At the time, they were homeless and Layla was having a difficult time finding employment. Layla and her children moved into MSC's family shelter in Kent. While there, Layla was able to work with an MSC staff member on [...]
“When you don’t know where to go or what to do, it’s very stressful,” Jose said about looking for a new home. Jose had been living with his wife and mother in a double-wide mobile home. He had owned the home for the past four years, but like many mobile home owners, did not own [...]
“We’re not just pointing someone in the right direction of the appropriate resource, we’re checking in with them if they need someone to call with them or help them complete application forms,” shares Carolina. Carolina is MSC’s Community Access Coordinator. MSC created this role in April of 2021 to help people access and navigate services [...]
Multi-Service Center has been a part of Jenny Hulse’s life for so long that when asked how she was first introduced to MSC, it was difficult for her to pinpoint an exact time. “It might have been through a diaper drive at my kids’ elementary school years ago.” Shortly after, Jenny began bringing fresh produce [...]
“My younger brother and I had moved across the country to live with our aunt in Federal Way in the nineties,” shares Shannel. “In that year, my aunt’s household went from one adult and two children to two adults and five children, surviving on one adult’s working-class income.” Shannel remembers her first visit to MSC [...]
“As teenagers, we never thought we’d be where we are at now,” shares Elia. Elia, now age 26, was born in Greeley, Colorado, after her parents had moved there from Mexico. Elia recalls Greeley being a mostly Spanish-speaking community. When her family moved to Kent in 2002, it was quite a change for them. “We [...]
